Engine.



s. A. MILES'.y

Wigtmaooeo J i@ /ZMA @ttor/naga COLUMBIA PLANnnRAPl-l Co.. WASHINGTON.D. C.

S. A. MILES.

ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, 1911. 1,023,670, Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

@Hom tulp COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH C0., WASHINGTON, D. c,

:il ICE..

ENG-INE.

To @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL A. MILES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and Stateof'Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inEngines; and I do declare the following tov be 'a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invent-ion, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in engines.

One object of the invention is to provide a rotary engine which may bedriven by any suitable fluid and which is provided with an improvedconstruction of automatically operated fluid supply valve whereby freshcharges` of fluid are supplied to the engine at the proper time.

Another object is to provide an improved construction and arrangement ofvalves whereby the admission of the fluid to the cylinder and piston ofthe engine is con-V trolled and whereby the engine may be reversed.

Vith these and other objects in view the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, and the combination and arrangement ofparts as will be more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a central vertical section ofmy improved engine; Fig. 2 is a side view of the same; Fig. 3 is avertical section taken at right angles to and on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1;Fig. 5L. is a horizontal section on the line 4 4; of Fig. 1.

My improved engine comprises a casing consisting of a lower cylindricalbody 1 and an upper cylinder 2. The lower cylinder 1 forms the pistonchamber of the engine while the upper cylinder forms an abutmentchamber. The cylinders or chambers 1 and 2 are closed at one end by anintegral `head 3 and at their opposite ends by a removable head 4l. Thechambers formed by the cylinders 1 and 2 communicate with each otherclearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. In the center of the chamber 1and revolubly mounted in the heads 3 and 4L is a main or power shaft 5on which is iXedly mounted the concentric rotary piston 6 of the engine.In the opposite sides of the piston 6 are formed longitudinally disposeddovetail shaped grooves 7 in which are se- Speccation of Letters Patent.

Application lecl May 18, 1911.

Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

Serial No. 628,063.

cured the inner edges of the radially proj ecting wings or blades 8 ofthe piston.

Arranged through the center of the chamber formed by the cylinder 2 andhaving its ends revolubly mounted in the heads of the cylinders is anabutment supporting shaft 9 on which is fixedly mounted a rotarycylindrical abutment l0 t-he outer surface of which closely engages theinner wall of the cylinder 9.. The lower portion of the rotary abutment10 projects through the opening between the cylinders 1 and 2 and formsa fluid tight engagement with the adjacent portion of the piston therebyforming a closure or abut-ment between which and one or the other of thewings or blades 10 the driving fluid is adapted to expand and thus drivethe piston.

Formed at diametrically opposite points in the rotaryabutment 1() areblade receiving recesses 11 with which the blades or wings 8 of thepiston are successively engaged to permit said wings or blades to passthe rotary abutment as the piston revolves. On one end of the shaft 9 ofthe rotary abutment 10 is fiXedly mounted a spur gear 12 which is inoperative engagement with a similar gear 13 fix-ed on the adjacent endof the shaft 5 of the piston whereby the rotary abutment is driven bythe piston. The relative arrangement or position of the recesses 11 inthe abutment with respect to the position and arrangement of the wingsor blades 8 is such that the recesses 1l will be successively broughtinto position to receive the projecting portions of the wings or bladesas they are brought around by the revolving piston. y

The cylinders 1 and 2 have formed on their lower ends parallelsupporting standards let which are connected to and preferably formedintegral with a hollow supporting base 15 which is preferably ofcylindrical form and is provided on its lower side with right angularsupporting lugs or feet 16 whereby the engine is supported and may befirmly secured to a floor or stationary base. The hollow base 15 forms acombustion or explosion chamber and to one side thereof is connected acombined fuel conducting pipe and explosion chamber 17 the upper end ofwhich is connected with a cylindrical valve chamber 18 as shown. Thepipe and explosion chamber 17 is preferably formeel in sections whichare connected by a suitable union 19 and in said pipe and chamber isarranged a controlling valve 20 l by means of which the passage of thecxploded charge of fuel through the pipe 17 to the valve casing 13 maybe controlled.

In the opposite sides of the valve casing 18 are formed discharge ports21 and 22, said ports being respectively connected by fuel conductingpipes 23 and 24 to fuel inlet ports 25 and 2G arranged in the oppositeside of the cylinder 1 and connected with the piston chamber of thelatter. In the valve casing 1S is also formed an exhaust port 27 and insaid casing is arranged a rotary reversing valve 2S which is fixed on anoperating stem 29. The ends of the stem 29 are revolubly mounted in theopposite heads of the valve casing and lixedly mounted on one end ofsaid stem is a hand wheel 30 by means of which the valve may be turnedto connect the inlet port of the casing with which the supply pipe 17 isconnected with one or the other of the discharge ports 21 or 22, theopposite port being connected by the valve with the exhaust port 27 insaid casing. By thus arranging` the fuel conducting pipes and the valve23 it will be seen that the course of the exploded fuel may be readilycontrolled and quickly directed to either of the discharge ports of thevalve casing thus providing for the quick reversal of the engine. Bythis arrangement it will be seen that the fuel conducting pipes will actboth as supply and exhaust pipes according to the position of thereversing valve and the direction in which the engine is to be operated.

Connected with the opposite side of the hollow base 15 from that towhich the combined fuel pipe and explosion chamber is connected is afuel inlet pipe 31 in which is arranged an automatically operating fuelintake or carbureting valve comprising a substantially spherical casing32 which is formed in separable hemispherical sections adapted to bescrewed together or operatively connected in any suitable manner. In thelower portion of the valve casing is arranged a spider 33 with which isslidahly l engaged the stem 34 of a valve 35 which is adapted to closeand open the upper end of the casing 32. On the upper end of the casing32 is formed a neck 3G with which is engaged a cap 37 in which is formeda centrally disposed opening 3S and on which around said opening isformed an upwardly projecting interiorly threaded boss 39. In the cap 37around the boss 39 is also formed an annular series of air inletpassages 40 through which air is drawn into the valve casing 32.

Connected with the boss 39 and extending through the opening 3S in thecap 37 is a fuel supply pipe 41 having arranged therein a cut off valve42. The inner end of the pipe 41 projects a suitable distance into theneck 36 of the valve casing and has formed in its inner end a conicalvalve seat 43 with which is adapted to be engaged the conical shaped endof an upwardly projecting eX- tension 44 of the valve stem 347 saidconical end of the valve stem extension forming a supplemental valve forautomatically closing the inner end of the fuel supply pipe when themain valve 35 is in a closed position. By arranging the main andsupplemental valves as herein shown and described it will be seen thatwhen an explosion occurs in the pipe 17 and hollow base 15 that thepressure resulting from said explosion will automatically close saidvalves thus cutting olf a further supply of fuel until the pressure ofthe valves has been relieved by the passage of the exploded fuel to theengine whereupon the valves will drop by gravity or be forced down bythe pressure of the air and fuel on the same thus admittinal a freshcharge or supply of fuel to the hollow base 15 and pipe 17.

The sparking or igniting mechanism of the engine comprises a stationarycontact spring 45 which is secured to and insulated from a suitablesupporting bracket 46 arranged on one of the supporting standards 14 inposition to be engaged by a wiper 47 forming the other contact terminaland which is carried by the gear 13 on the shaft of the piston wherebysaid wiper is brought into engagement with the spring contacty terminal45 at each complete revolution of the piston. The wiper 47 is secured tothe gear in position to engage the terminal 45 and complete the electriccircuit of the sparking mechanism to ignite the fuel at the proper time.To the spring contact terminal 45 is connected oneend of one of thecurrent conducting wires 48 of the sparking circuit while the oppositeend of said wire 4S is connected with an induction coil 49. The otherwire 50 of the circuit is connected at one end of the casing of theengine and atits opposite end to the coil 49. In the wire 50 is arrangeda battery 51 and a switch 52. Arranged at a suitable point in the comLbined fuel conducting pipe and explosion chamber 17 is a sparking plug53 which is connected by a high tension wire 54 to the coil 49 wherebywhen the primary circuit is completed through the engagement of thecontact terminals 45 and 47 the induced circuit through the high tensionwire 54 and the casing and other parts of the engine will also becompleted and a spark caused to pass from the plug to the adjacent sideof the pipe 17, thus igniting the fuel therein and in the hollowbase ofthe engine. By arranging the controlling valve 20 in the pipe 17 more orless fluid may be admitted to the piston cylinder of the engine and thelatter thus controlled as hereinbefore described. The passage of thefluid to the cylinder may also be regulated by adjusting the reversingvalve 28 to partly cover the ports in the reversing valve casing as willbe readily understood.

Vhile I have herein shown and described the engine as an explosivechamber it is obvious that the engine may be operated by steam,compressed air or other fluid and said base employed as a storagechamber for the operating fluid. Vhen the engine is operated by theexplosion of gas in the base and combined fuel conducting pipe andexplosion chamber 17 each explosion will produce sufcient po-wer orpressure to cause the piston to make a number of revolutions and ifdesired the engine may be stopped before this pressure from tl eexplosion has spent itself by closing the valve 20 in the pipe 17 thusretaining or storing a suflicient pressure in the hollow base to startthe engine when the valve Q0 is again opened. The pressure thus retainedin the base will be sufiicient to hold the intake valve closed againstatmospheric pressure or the pressure of the fuel in the supply pipe. Bythus providing for the retention of a part of the pressure of the lastexplosion the engine may be quickly started at any time.

It will also be obvious that while I have described the invention as anengine .for generating power that if power is transmitted to the deviceby a separate engine or motor said device may be employed as a rotarypump or blower.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, the construction and operation of the invention will bereadily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, pro-portion and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the principle orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention claimed.

I claim as my invention 1. In an engine of the class described, a hollowbase, a casing arranged on said base, said casing having formed thereina rotary piston cylinder and a rotary abutment cylinder, a rotary pistonoperatively mounted in said piston cylinder, a rotary abutmentoperatively mounted in said abutment cylinder, radially disposed bladesarranged. on said piston, means whereby said blades are adapted to passsaid abutment, a reversing valve, fluid conducting pipes adapted toconnect the casing of said valve with said piston cylinder, a fluidconducting pipe to connect said hollow base with said reversing valvecasing, a controlling valve arranged in said pipe, and an automaticallyoperating intake valve connected with said base.

2. In an explosive engine, a hollow base, a casing arranged on saidbase, said casing comprising a piston cylinder and an abutment cylinder,a rotary piston operatively mounted in said piston cylinder, radiallyprojecting blades arranged on said piston, a rotary abutment arranged insaid abutment cylinder, said abutment having formed therein radiallydisposed recesses adapted to receive the blades of said piston wherebythe latter are permitted to pass said abutment, means whereby saidabutment is geared to and operated by said piston, a reversing valvecasing, fiuid connecting pipes to connect the opposite sides of saidcasing with the opposite sides of the piston cylinder, an exhaust portformed in said casing, a combined fuel conducting pipe and explosionchamber to connect said hollow base with said reversing valve casing, avalve arranged in said casing and adapted to connect said combined fuelconducting pipe and explosion chamber with either of said fuelconduct-ing pipes whereby the engine may be run in either direction, acontrolling valve arranged in said combined fue] conducting pipe andexplosion chamber, and an automatically operating intake valve connectedwith said hollow base.

3. An engine of the character described, comprising a hollow baseforming a combustion chamber, a casing mounted upon said base, saidcasing having formed therein a rotary piston and abutment cylinder,arotary piston rotatably mounted in said piston cylinder, a rotaryabutment mounted in said abutment cylinder, radially arranged bladesprojecting from said piston and adapted to enter recesses in theabutment, fluid co-nducting pipes leading from the opposite sides of thepiston cylinder, a reversing valve connected to said pipes and supportedthereby, a fluid pipe co-nnecting said hollow base with the top of thereversing valve, a contract-ing valve located in the said pipe, acarbureting valve also connected to the base, a sparking device forcausing an explosion, and means for causing the piston and abutmentcylinder to rotate simultaneously.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL A. MILES.

Witnesses A L. O. HILTON, 0. B. HOPKINS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

